Union apprenticeship recruiters struggle to enlist new workers

Recruiters for union apprenticeship programs in the construction trades in northern Nevada find themselves walking a fine line these days.

On one hand, there's no denying that employment is slow in the construction trades, and unions don't want to stoke the hopes of too many potential apprentices who might not find jobs any time soon.

But apprenticeship recruiters also know that good times will return, and they're spooked that a large number of Baby Boomers who have temporarily delayed their retirements may head for the doors all at once.

Even if there aren't a lot of jobs available right now, unions want to keep at least a trickle of new apprentices into their ranks.

A combined effort of 10 unions to recruit apprentices the Western Apprenticeship Coordinators Association this summer was recognized as a Silver Star winner by Truckee Meadows Tomorrow. The awards recognize efforts that have measurably improved the quality of life in the region.

John Ainsworth of Carpenters Union Local 971 says that union recruiters can afford to be picky these days.

"This is the time that the very best are shining," he says.

During the construction boom, the Carpenters Local brought on as many as 150 apprentices a year. This year, Ainsworth says, the number will be closer to 20.

New apprentice positions in the Plumbers & Fitters Local 350 in northern Nevada were so scant and unemployment among existing apprentices was so widespread that the organization decided that it wouldn't bring on a new class of apprentices minimum class size is five this spring.

But Randy Canale, apprentice coordinator for the union, says business is beginning to stir enough that it may launch an apprentice class this autumn.

"This downturn isn't going to last forever," Canale says. "We can't just stop recruiting."

Demographic trends also put pressure on the recruiters. The average age of American construction workers is nearly 55, the Department of Labor has reported, and 1 million new construction workers may be needed nationwide by 2012 as the economy recovers.

The recession, which has discouraged retirements, has masked that trend in northern Nevada for a while, Ainsworth says, although there's no question that aging construction workers are going to retire someday.

With unemployment in northern Nevada running higher than 11 percent, union pay for construction jobs looks pretty good to potential applicants.

Carpenter apprentices earn about $14 an hour, progressing to about $30 at the journey level. Plumber and pipefitter apprentices begin about $15 an hour, and journey-level workers make $24 to $32 an hour.

A bigger selling point for many potential apprentices, Canale says, is a union benefits packet that includes healthcare and retirement.

"People are starting to realize how important benefits are," he says.

Bob Alessandrelli, trades apprenticeship recruiter for the Western Apprenticeship Coordinators Association in Reno, says his efforts to interest potential apprentices sometimes encounters resistance from workers who've watched construction employment crater in the past two years.

"I have some who are spooked," he acknowledges. "But then I have some who are looking at it over the long-term as a good career opportunity."

Part of the appeal for some workers, he says, is the knowledge that construction jobs can't be outsourced to foreign competitors.

On the other hand, he says, apprentice programs aren't for folks who need to find work right away. That's true even in the best of times, Alessandrelli says, and the waiting lists grow longer during slow times.

"You're not going to get a job with us tomorrow," he says.

Federal stimulus money is beginning to flow into some construction projects that require union labor, Alessandrelli says.

And some trades such as workers in the Painters & Allied Trades Union continue to see some work from residential and commercial remodeling projects.

But even for trades where demand today is slack, Alessandrelli takes a long view, knowing that some of the northern Nevada high schools he visits today may not make career decisions for years.

"We're still recruiting," he says. "Our job is to get the best and the brightest."